This invention relates generally to amusement ramps for skateboarding, in-line skating, bicycle riding, snowboarding, snowskating and other related sport activities.
The invention also relates to individual components having various forms and which can be selectively connected together to form amusement ramps, support structures for supporting objects, decking systems for decks and the like.
There are several types of amusement ramps in the prior art. One type is a self-standing, unitary structure such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,756 (Mapp). Mapp shows a molded plastic ramp made in a one-step molding process and including reinforced side and rear walls and a smooth ramp surface. Side and rear supports are provided to support the ramp.
Another type is a multi-component ramp wherein the components are assembled together to form the ramp such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,480 (Labelson). The ramp of Labelson includes a pair of side frames and ramp sections supported by the side frames and defining an active ramp surface. The side frames includes ramp supporting surfaces having locating tabs to cooperate with locking notches on the ramp section to secure the ramp sections to the side frames and notches in which crossbraces are positioned to provide support for the ramp sections. The ramp is not designed to connect to other ramps and thus it is limited to the configuration shown.
Other multi-component ramps are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,564,790 (Rehfeld), 4,129,916 (Schlesinger et al.) and 5,524,310 (Farnen). These ramps do not include individual ramp components defining an active ramp surface which are connectable to one another to form various configurations of ramps.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an amusement ramp system which comprises individual ramp components which are easy to assemble and can be connected to one another.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a ramp system including individual ramp components which can be assembled in different configurations.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a ramp system which comprises a number of interconnected components whereby each component can be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a ramp system including a frame and a board which is designed to be easily attached and detached from the frame. This enables various ramps to be used for different uses and desires, with the change from one board to another being easy and quick.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a ramp system capable of both land and water uses, the water uses being provided by the design of a frame to enable flotation devices to be attached to the underside of the frame.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a decking system, support structure and platform assembly which comprise individual components which are easy to assemble and can be connected to one another in different configurations.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new construction of individual, self-standing components having various forms and which can be selectively connected together to form amusement ramps, support structures for supporting objects, decking systems for decks and the like.
In order to achieve objects of the invention, an amusement ramp system in accordance with the invention comprises one or more ramp components or modules which can be connected together. Each ramp component is an independent unit made of several parts and can be sold as a kit including the required number and type of parts. Some of the parts are used in all of the ramp components.
Generally, the basic ramp component includes a board defining an active ramp surface and a frame consisting of a pair of substantially identical side panels, each having at least one board supporting edge including notches and a support structure extending between and engaging with the notches in the side panels to support the board. The frame also preferably includes a connection structure extending between and engaging with notches in other edges of the side panels and is designed to enable connection to the support structure or side panels of other ramp components. The side panels also include an appropriate connection structure which enables the side panels of different ramp components to be connected together to thereby provide for a laterally expanded ramps. As such, the ramp components can be connected together to form different configurations of ramps by a connection between a side panel of one ramp component and a connection structure of another ramp component, by a connection between a side panel of one ramp component and a side panel of another ramp component (which may the same or a different ramp component) or by a connection between a connection structure of one ramp component and a connection structure of another ramp component.
The board supporting edge is designed to support a flat or curved board depending on the shape and construction of the side panel and board supporting edge. For example, if the side panels are triangular, then the board supporting edge constituting the hypotenuse of the side panels and board supported thereby could be flat to form a wedge-shaped ramp component or the board supporting edge and board supported thereby could be curved to form an arcuate ramp component. Further, if the side panels are rectangular and the board supporting edges therefore flat, then flat boards are supported by the board supporting edges to form box components. Such box components can be used as platforms or to extend or elevate the wedge-shaped or arcuate ramp components. In some embodiments of the ramp wherein the box components are used to support and elevate other ramp components, the box components do not include a board.
The support structure which provide supports for the board between the side panels includes a cross-piece support extending between each aligned pair of notches in the board supporting edges of the side panels and a cross-piece extending between each aligned pair of notches in the board supporting edges of the side panels over a respective cross-piece support. Thus, the cross-piece supports underlie the cross-pieces and enhance the support of the board provided by the cross-pieces. To enable placement of the cross-piece supports and cross-pieces in the notches, the cross-piece supports have an indentation at each end in the same edge and the cross-pieces have two indentations at each end in opposed edges.
The cross-pieces are connected to the side panels by appropriate connection or fastening members. The board is also connected to the cross-pieces by appropriate connection members such as fasteners which extend through aligning apertures in the board and the cross-pieces.
With respect to the connection structure, edges of the side panels other than the board supporting edge are designed as connection edges as the ramp component can be connected to another ramp component along these edges. To this end, the connection edges include notches. Cross-pieces extend between each aligned pair of notches and are fastened to the side panels. To connect ramp components together, the cross-pieces on one side of one ramp component are placed alongside the cross-pieces on one side of another ramp component such that apertures in the cross-pieces align and connection members are then inserted through the aligning apertures to connect the adjacent ramp components together via the cross-pieces. The cross-pieces of one ramp component can also be placed alongside a side panel of another ramp component so that apertures in the cross-pieces align with apertures in the side panel and connection members are insertable through the aligning apertures to fasten the cross-pieces to the side panel.
The connection structure of the side panels which enable each side panel to be attached to a side panel of another ramp component or to one or more cross-pieces of another ramp component includes apertures formed on the side panels of all of the ramp components at a common height and spacing and connection members adapted to pass through aligning apertures and fix adjacent side panels to one another or a side panel to an adjacent cross-piece. That is, the notches are formed in the connection edges of the side panels so that apertures in the cross-pieces placed in the notches will be at the same height and spacing as apertures in the side panels. Further, all of the side panels are constructed with apertures at the same height and spacing. As such, two ramp components can be connected together either by joining a cross-piece to a side panel, a cross-piece of one ramp component to a side panel of another ramp component or a side panel of one ramp component to a side panel of the other ramp component.